James Thomas Hanifan
James "Jim" Thomas Hanifan, 61, died July 22 at his residence in Marble Falls. He was born in 1949, the first of four children to Donald Thomas Hanifan and Janet "Jan" Deborah Jaquith.
He spent his very early years in Emporia, Kan., and then the family moved to Los Angeles in the early 1950s. He graduated from California State University at Northridge in 1974 with a degree in geology and a minor in mathematics.
In a two-week period in late December, he graduated from college, married the daughter of one of his classmates and started a new job in Bakersfield, Calif.
He began his career in the oil patch as a development geologist in the Kern River oil fields for the Getty Oil Co. In 1978 he transferred into Getty Oil's International Exploration and Production Division and worked on oil projects across the planet.
He and his wife Joanne Hanifan moved to New York in 1982 with the takeover of Getty Oil by Texaco Oil Co. and there he worked in the Middle East/Far East Division. A three-year stay in Saudi Arabia starting in 1986 was next when he was a Texaco loanee for what was to become Saudi Aramco.
After returning to the United States in 1989, he worked for Texaco's Latin America/West Africa Division in Coral Gables, Fla.
The couple moved to Bogota, Colombia, in January 1996 when he began work as assets manager for Texas Petroleum Co., a division of Texaco. Their next stop was to Texaco's Bellaire office in December 1999. He retired in 2002 when Chevron made him an offer he couldn't refuse during the merger with Texaco.
He always astounded people with the number of potential oil basins he investigated during the course of his oil-patch career.
In 2003 the couple moved into their retirement home in Shady Acres on Lake LBJ. They bought a pontoon boat, a fifth-wheel travel trailer and a diesel truck to pull it, a red Harley Davidson Ultra Classic Electra Glide and a Millennium Yellow Corvette.
He took up a new hobby in retirement, turning wood on a lathe. He enjoyed making things out of Texas woods and sold his crafts at the Kingsland House of Arts & Crafts and at Material Things in Llano.
During their travels in the United States, they always had a copy of the local "Roadside Geology of …." And they would often stop to take in the scenery and discuss the geology. He played classical guitar and contemplated taking lessons again. He loved taking rides on his motorcycles. Their next big trip was to Wyoming and Montana; he was fascinated with pictures of the area on Google Earth.
Survivors include his wife of 36 years; his stepmother Patricia "Tish" Hanifan of Ormand Beach, Fla.; his brother Bruce Hanifan and wife Jan; his nephew Patrick Hanifan of Los Angeles; his sister Debby Rouse; his niece Heather Cellini; his great-niece Jordan Cellini of Drummond, Tenn.; his brother Charles Hanifan and wife Debbie; his nephew Charles Hanifan; his niece Victoria Hanifan of Canyon Country, Calif.; his brother-in-law Malcolm MacGregor and wife Kelley of Yelm, Wash.; his niece Tania McGuire; his great-nephew Devan Truebenbach of Rancho Cordova, Calif.; his brother-in-law Brian MacGregor of Northridge, Calif.; and his extended family.
A service is 4:30-7:30 p.m. July 31 at his home and also the afternoon of Aug. 7 at his brother Charles Hanifan's home in California.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that a contribution be made to the American Diabetes Association or a local EMT or fire/rescue service.
Arrangements are under the direction of Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 1805 U.S. 281 North in Marble Falls, (830) 693-4373.